GP 182 Hejnum Bjärs V

Context and Discovery
The Bjärs cemetery extends to the south of the farm in three closely spaced areas immediately east of the country road, consisting of a total of more than 80 stone settings still visible today, rösen (cairns) and other circular stone mounds: RAÄ Hejnum 31:1 (northern area, 165 x 50 m), 113:1 (middle area, 150 x 60 m), 36:1 (southern area, 190 x 30–65 m). A small area of 90 x 30 m containing 7 stone settings immediately west of the road, belonging to Bjärs prästgård (parsonage), is obviously also part of the Bjärs cemetery (RAÄ 45:1). About 160 graves were excavated by Fredrik Nordin (Nordin 1893; Nordin et al. 1906) during the years 1885–86. Further investigations of the spot were conducted by Nordin during the early 1890s. The cemetery was used from the Roman Iron Age until the Viking Period. Most of the graves, however, date to the Vendel Period. The stones Hejnum Bjärs II–V were found in the north-western corner of the northern cemetery area, close to the road and the stone Hejnum Bjärs I about 200 m further south, also close to the road, at the edge of the middle area.

Hejnum Bjärs V was discovered by Nordin in the upper layer of the stone covering of a large stone mound (cairn) (röse), measuring 8 m in diameter and 70 cm in height (Nordin et al. 1906, pp. 58–59, 133–134, fig. 16). This mound (grave 153) is located directly east of the country road, surrounded by a group of smaller circular stone settings, and contained no fewer than 6 burial cists (A–F). These stone cists contained ashes and burnt as well as unburnt human and animal bones but hardly any grave goods. There also were pottery sherds, a horse skeleton and two small bronze fittings (with hook and eye, probably belonging to a belt).
GP 187 Hejnum Bjärs II
GP 189 Hejnum Bjärs III
GP 188 Hejnum Bjärs IV
GP 186 Hejnum Bjärs I

Measurements, Material and Condition
The fragment represents the convex head part of a picture stone, including its left protruding corner, and is described by Lindqvist as follows (1941/42 II, p. 71): “Limestone slab, 10 cm thick. The obverse even, probably hewn, now severely weathered. Of the narrow sides, only a part (14 cm) of the upper side is preserved, which is convex longitudinally and hewn flat at an acute angle towards the obverse to a width of 7 cm, with a chamfer of 1 cm width in between.” The fragment’s maximum width is 55 cm, its maximum height 43 cm. Lindqvist reproduces a photo taken in 1933 (1941/42 II, fig. 409; cf. ATA 1718:27a; 594:16c), a drawing by Olof Sörling is kept in ATA’s run- och bildstenssamling.

Description of Ornament and Images
No traces of carvings survive.

Interpretation of the Imagery
No interpretation

Type and Dating
In Lindqvist’s opinion, the stone represents an Early Type monument, belonging to his ʻAbschnittʼ A (circa AD 400–600). However, he does not dare to assign the fragment to one of his type A subgroups and records it under “tall erected stones” in the column “uncertain fragments” (I, p. 28 table I). However, the relatively strong convexity, the horizontally protruding corner and the dimensions of the stone certainly allow the conclusion that it is a type B dwarf stone dating to about AD 500–700.

The only finds from the grave mound (see IV) that potentially allow a chronological delimitation are the stamp-decorated pottery sherd, which, however, only roughly points to the Migration or Vendel Period (Nordin et al. 1906, fig. 99), and the bronze fittings, which appear to represent a (Roman Iron Age? Migration Period? Vendel Period?) type of belt clasp. In any case, the fragment of the picture stone seems to have come into the stone layer only secondarily.

References
Nordin et al. 1906, p. 58; Lindqvist 1941/42 II, p. 71, fig. 409.

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